An off duty Ekurhuleni Emergency Services paramedic has received accolades from his peers for living up to the oath of service when his quick reaction saved the life of a 15-year-old

Nosiphiwe Sineke of Palm Ridge.

Tebello Patrick Lekako was driving home late in the afternoon when he noticed two people, a 38-year-old male and a school girl lying next to the road surrounded by shocked bystanders at corner Petersen and Greenfield roads in Palm Ridge following a lightning strike around 15:30 yesterday (Tuesday, February 1).

The 36-year-old Palm Ridge Station crew commander immediately pulled by the side of the road to assess the situation and found that the older person is already dead and Sineke was gasping and shortly lost breath and circulation.

“I did not have my first aid kit with me or any of my rescue equipment so I called for backup and in the meantime initiated CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation). I knew I had to act fast or we would also lose the girl,” explains Lekako, who has 11 years experience as a paramedic.

Sineke regained pulse and breathing a few minutes later. An Ekurhuleni ambulance and the advance life support unit arrived on the scene within five minutes and transported her to Natalspruit Hospital where she is currently in ICU.

According to Lekako’s colleague Michael Callow who is an advanced life support paramedic who responded to assist, Lekako’s intervention was timely. “His actions made a difference between life and death of the patient.”

Joe Makhubalo the chief fire officer at the Ekurhuleni Emergency Services commended Lekako’s instinctive response. “When you are in the emergency services field your call is always beyond duty. Lekako has displayed the kind of spirit we want to inculcate among all our members in line with the oath of service we all took – that of ensuring that we will do whatever is in our powers to save lives.”

Makhubalo said that they are prayerfully hoping that the 15-year-old girl who is still in ICU will recover from the incident.

Issued by

Roggers Mamaila

Media Liaison Officer

EMM - Emergency Services

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